Commercial Service Airport

A commercial service airport boards at least 2,500 passengers a year in scheduled passenger (airline) service. These airports are labeled primary if they have more than 10,000 passengers a year and nonprimary if they have fewer.

Hub Airports

Some of these commercial service airports are further defined as hub airports based on what percentage of all passengers flying in the current year use them — and then as small, medium, or large hubs. For example, a large hub airport handles more than 1 percent of all passengers flying during a given year.

Cargo Airports

Airports handle cargo, too. A cargo service airport may handle people, but it also is served by cargo aircraft and handles more than 100 million pounds of cargo during a year.

GA Airports

What’s left? GA — and these comprise the largest single group of airports in the United States. Roughly 68 percent of the population resides within 20 miles of these airports.

View the Federal Government U.S. Airport Categories

Reliever Airports

Reliever airports are designated by the FAA to relieve congestion at commercial service airports (usually around a major urban area) and to provide more General Aviation (GA) access to the overall community.